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Source: Reuter via BosNews, Jan. 23, 1995

General Rose Dances To Karadzic/Zametica Demands

By Nermin Zukic

"I shall use very undiplomatic language ... The message is don't mess about. Don't fuck around. If you hit us, it means head war. Repeat. If you hit us, it means an all-out war. This has come from the of state, from President Karadzic himself. He is in a furious mood," were John/Jovan Zametica, words, nationalist Bosnian Serb adviser to Radovak Karadzic, in November, 1994.

This threat was made by Jovan Zametica during a conversation with the U.N. Bosnian commander, General Sir Michael Rose, and an aide. The taped telephone conversation was obtained by the British Broadcasting Corporation's Panorama programme.

Bosnia's government intercepted the call in late November 1994, when the first report emerged of Bosnian Serb forces entering the U.N. safe area of Bihac, in northwest Bosnia.

Mike Stanley, Rose's liaison officer, says: "We have received information which at present is unconfirmed that your forces are inside the
safe area. It's unconfirmed at present. We can only confirm that at dawn.
The thing is we are mandated to act if the safe area is endangered and all I'm saying to you is for God's sake, get your troops out of there before dawn -- if they are there. We don't know, we just have the information."

Rose to Zametica: "No one's messing around with anyone. We are merely trying to act as intermediaries and peace-keepers in a rather confused and difficult situation... Our job is to apply a certain set of rules which we afforded to you in very good time...although I can understand on the ground there can be difficulties."

Zametica replies: "Should you attack us from the air or in any other way, it means all-out war. I could not be more serious. And I am speaking on behalf of my president."